The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-07-15
HOW CROPS Loo

From great mass of crop feports re.
ceived this week at the general freight
department of the Winona e st. Peter
railroad, the Winona Repst lscdn has
e6n.s, ilzss .. s.a-...sea-s sszsioil IN nraue
of interest to merchants and business
men generally, as well as to farmers.
The heavy rains of the first three OF
four days of July were quite general
throughout Southern Minnesota and Da-
kota and may be put down as coming
just in the nick of time. Especially did
these rains do vast amount of good to
grass and corn and late sown wheat and
oats. Chinch bugs, however, continue
their ravages in Winona, Olmsted, Fill
more, Wabasha and Goodhue counties.
In many localities of Olmsted county,
farmers claim that all kinds of small
grain are destroyed. At Marion and
other sections both north and south of
Rochester, in the river valley where the
soil Is light and sandy, the bugs have
taken almost all of the small grain and
have turned their attention to the corn.
Even in Dodge county the reports of
damage by bugs are worse than at any
time before this season. Some farmers
say they are going to cut their grain for
feed. Corn is looking better than the
average. Around Claremont which is a
little further west in the same county,
the crops are looking exceedingly we'll.
In the vicinity of Owatonna and Waseca
crops are doing well with every indica-
ton of fair crop of small grain. Chinch
bugs are working in scattered localities,
both in Steele and Waseca counties.
The information received by the Winona
folks that the rains came too late in the
neighborhood of Mankato for small
grain to recover from the drouth of the
early spring and summer, and the esti-
mate placed upon small grain at go per
cent. of last years yield in some locali-
ties about Mankato, is not borne out by
facts. In many portions of Blue Earth
and adjoining counties the yield of
small grain will exceed that of last
year, while in no section of these coun-
ties will it fall appreciably below that of
last season. Corn and oats never looked
better than now; barley is being har-
vested and reports of an unusually
heavy yield are numerous. Wheat har-
vest will begin here in about ten days or
two weeks. Sleepy Eve reports, says
the Republican, plenty of rain, but the
farmers say that the crops are not so
good as was expected in the fore part Of
the season. Wheat is filling out well,
but is not so thick as expected. In
Lyon county wheat, corn, oats and fax
are doing well, though the two last
named are light. The potato crop prom
ises to be large. New Ulm reports fay-
orable weather, with corn well advanc.
ed and wheat heading out nicely, but
farmers complain that It'll very thin
Around st. Peter all crops are looking
| fine.
In Dakota the reports generally are Of
a favorable tenor. The rains of the past
week were quite extensive and did much
good. Around Gary wheat will be ready
to harvest about the last of this month
and from present indications the cror
will be fully as good as twas last year
From Huron, Washington, Blunt and
Pierre come reports of improvement
under the late rain. In the vicinity OIL
Huron corn is about waist high, or high.
err, generally even and of good color
Wheat, oats and barley are heading out
well. Similar reports come from the
stations along the entire line up the val
ley of the James river.